Asano watches from the ground as the others ascend, slight trepidation on his face as the scaffolding sways and creaks under their weight. As their new companion begins to fall, the half-elf shouts up, "Jak, new guy, you need to move inside so the rest of us can climb without collapsing the scaffold." He turns to Magdrak, "Catch him, sir dwarf."

Wiglaf’s hands find a nearby, sturdy piece of scaffolding and he clings to it as if his life depended on it... which might does.
His muscles ache under his own weight and he groans “Shouldn’t have had that second chicken.” He complains before trying to pull himself up.

Wiglaf rolled 16 using 1d20-1 with rolls of 17.  DEX save.

The group looks on in horror as Wiglaf manages to catch the side of the scaffolding. He scrambles back up to the others and regains his feet.

Jak pushes the door open slowly and peers inside the room. The warm lighting illuminates a large hole in the wooden floor just past the door, and stone stairs that lead up the northern wall.

Two guards stand near to the stairs, and immediately reach for their heavy crossbows. Their brows crease above goggle-like eye-wear as they watch Jak warily, giving their faces the look of angry insects.

A smaller figure slowly rises from a wooden stool in the southeastern corner of the room. Standing no taller than Morg or Magdrak, he is bare to the waist. His heavily muscled frame shines with a deep bronze hue, as though his very skin was metallic. Yet Jak's eyes are first drawn to his face, wreathed not in hair but in flames. It forms a sort of beard around his features, then extends to a small bonfire of unruly orange fire atop his head, which gives the room its illumination.

"And who are you?" the creature rasps.

---

Map updated! See also main RPoL game map.

Jak is currently just inside the doorway on this floor, and everyone else is outside on the scaffolding near the doorway. Magdrak is one level down on the scaffolding.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:14, Tue 02 Apr 2019.

Jak paused and straightened. A smile slid on to his face and he acted like he belonged there. Confidence. It's all about confidence - or so his mentor had told him. Also - always go with the truth, or at least enough of it to not be outright lying.

He gave a small acknowledging head nod to the guards and the...other creature? "Jakrynn Redgate, or Jak for short. We're here to see about the transport of a prisoner being held here." True enough - though they were transporting him away, not to a new place of holding.

He eyed the 'dwarf?'. "And for my records, who are you so I can make a note?"


20:28, Today: Jakrynn Redgate rolled 25 using 2d20+6, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 8,19.  Deception.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:28, Wed 03 Apr 2019.

The diminutive being merely stares at Jak for a moment, seemingly deciding what to do. The guards eye him questioningly.

---

When I read this I immediately thought, "Prisoner transfer from cell block 1138?" =)

Jak can roll a deception check with advantage - anyone else doing anything as Jak speaks?

I’m up with the others? I’ll stand out of side and listen to Jak and prepare to summon my weapon and jump inside

The metallic-skinned dwarf looks puzzled. One of the guards sets down his crossbow, then covers a fist with his other hand, looking sidelong at Jak.

"Name's Greaek," the fire-haired dwarf replies, frowning. "I wasn't notified. I'll have to clear it with Vanifer. What prisoner are you transferring? And where?" He looks questioningly at the guards across the room. "One of yours?" The guards shrug.

The elf doesn't enter with Jakryn, instead staying around the corner with his back to the wall, still and silent.

A bit belated from me, sorry, but I'd like to hide around the entrance and listen in to Jak's bluff for now.

07:48, Today: Secret Roll: Findarion rolled 26 using 1d20+8 with rolls of 18.  Stealth.

"Gree-ache. Got it. Thank you." He gave a nod.

Jak confidently opened his mouth, one finger on his right hand pointed up....and paused. Then he frowned quizzically, realized Findarion only ever kept referring to the his brother as "his brother" and never gave them an actual name. Finally he let out a sigh and looked frustrated. "Sorry. One sec."

He leaned his head back out the door and called out, "What's the name o'the prisoner we're here t'transport again?"

Stumped for a few moments, Findarion nonetheless realizes the question was directed at him. He whispers the answer back:

"Merellien Aur'aver."

Asano looks at the ground crew, confused. "Prisoner?" he mouths.

One of the guards begins to frown at Jak. He still holds his hands in front of him, his left hand covering his fist, awaiting Jak's answer.

Jak heard what he needed and gave a nod. He turned back to the dwarf and the guards inside, pulling his head back in. "Merellien Aur'aver." He waited to see how they reacted, ready to move at a moment's notice but trying to look cool.

Asano concentrates for a few moments, rearranging his internal balance.


OOC:
Exchange 3 level 1 spell slots for 3 sorcery points. Exchange 3 sorcery points for 1 level 2 spell slot.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:52, Tue 09 Apr 2019.

The guard drops his hands finally, then reaches back for his crossbow. He shakes his head doubtfully at the strange dwarf as he hefts the weapon.

The dwarf considers a moment. "The prisoners were taken down to the Temple," he says at last, motioning to the large hole in the floor. Some unseen light source seemed to be moving down there, shifting the shadows in the dimness. "You're welcome to descend."

"Are they bird-people up there?" Morg shouts upwards. "This seems like a pretty bad setup for entering the building."

Jak reached his arm back out the window and waved for people to come in as he kept smiling at the dwarf and guards. Internally, however, he was assessing their body language, tone of voice, and everything to see if he sensed deception or if this was a trap or test.

09:46, Today: Jakrynn Redgate rolled 22 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 18.  Insight check on 'dwarf'.

The dwarf folds his arms and sits back down on the stool, seemingly content to wait for Jak's companions to arrive. Unseen lights from below continue to cast odd shadows that play over piles of rubble, at least twenty feet below. There isn't an obvious way to descend through the hole safely, at least to Jak's eyes.

The two guards exchange glances, apparently surprised at the dwarf's reply. "Where exactly are you taking this Merellien, and by whose authority?" one of them asks Jak.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about some troublemakers who burned down the scaffolding, would you?" the other guard asks Jak, eyeing him suspiciously.

---

Asano turns to Morg and Magdrak. "I think it would be best if the two of you got up there," he says worriedly. "Jak may need some aid soon, and if we're to 'transport a prisoner' that implies guards already in place."

Magdrak looks at the others, and after a moment hollers up at the group up in the tower.  "What's the holdup?  Lytin won't wait forever for that one!"

Findarion, not a smooth talker himself, lets Jak handle the guards while he's looking for something to tie a rope to.

Jak let out a small sigh, almost as if he was bored with the long time it was taking to finish this conversation and get the rest of the prisoner transport team in to the room. His eyes annoyingly rolled over to the guards as they piped up with questions.

He a bored tone in his voice and expression on his face while he had been speaking. "Lytin sent us up here. She also, as far as I saw, escorted the troublemakers, I assume that's who the people were anyway, down the hill from the side of this tower earlier. You'd have to ask her if you want to know what she planned for them." He spread his hands. "Satisfied?"

OOC: Man I need some advantage or bardic inspiration, lol. Running out of good rolls.

14:45, Today: Secret Roll: Jakrynn Redgate rolled 12 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 6.  I assume you'll ask for another Deception check.

The guard reluctantly stands down, slouching back against the upward-leading steps.

Greaek watches Jak silently.

---

Findarion doesn't see any useful places to tie a rope other than around the doorway itself, or around the spires at the roof of the tower about 45' up.

Jak got advantage on the second deception roll too, after Magdrak's call from below Helped =).

21:03, Today: Secret Roll: DM, on behalf of Jakrynn Redgate, rolled 23 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 17.  deception check @ advantage.

Greaek chuckles at Jak's silence. "Do you need a boost?" the creature grates, pointing to the hole in the floor.

Breaking stealth, the elf nonchalantly ties the rope around the doorway, tossing the other end to the group waiting below.